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"small and portable"

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"costly for a lot"

hot chocolate mini sachets are a mini sensation!

I am a lover of hot chocolate, nothing better than just before bed a nice cup of warm hot chocolate.

This christmas my teen girls wanted get presents for their friends, with so many to buy for I was thinking of a nice looking but inexpensive present. Then I had an idea, these hot chocolate sachets are 4 for £1 of all different flavours so we bought a variety of sachets and a set of 4 mugs for £4.00. We put the sachets inside each of the mugs and put the individual mug in a celophane bag and tied with ribbon it looked really pretty.

Back to the actual hot chocolate, so we decided we had to try some out for ourselves! I love the belgium hot chocolate version, it is quite sweet and one of my daughters found too sickly but I like it. You empty the sachet into the milk and I give it a quick stir straight away and then heat in the microwave for a minute, take it out stir it again and then do for another minute - yum yum. Top it off with some squirty cream and marshmallows and yum. If you wanted to not have it quite so sweet you could either put a bit more milk in or just use half a sachet.

There are a few other sachet varieties available such as white hot chocolate, orange hot chocolate and peppermint.

These are a great handy size and can be taken away for holidays especially camping trips as a treat in the evening, or pop in your handbag for work or put a few in and share with friends!

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Great tasting hot chocolate at home

I came across options hot chocolate whilst on the Slimming World plan! At about 2 syns each they were a perfect way to satisfy your chocolate craving without using up all your syns. At first I was unsure as to how nice they would be, I can be a bit fussy with hot chocolate but as options mini sachets are often on offer in Tescos (4 for £1.00) I decided to try a variety!

Well without a doubt these hot chocolates are the nicest make at home hot chocolates I have ever tried. Full of flavour, no need to add anything but boiling water and a delicious treat. Some of my personal favourite flavours are belgian chocolate, hazelnut and orange. My partner loves the chocolate mint flavour.

With less than 40 calories per mug they are as good as paying for an expensive starbucks, much more economical and they are not going to add pounds to the waistline. Which is great for everyone watching their weight in 2014.

I prefer buying the sachets over the hot chocolate jars so I can have a variety of flavours. And the sachets are handy to pop in your bag for work.

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Not that great

Around this time of year I get a pining for hot chocolate.

I picked up 4 of these Options sachets for £1 from Tesco. I have also had the jars before which are a little more.

I take the sachets out sometimes e.g. work because they're handy and small. The main selling point of the sachets is that you don't have to share! And there are so many flavours - belgian chocolate, mint, caramel etc - but the one I come back to is Caribbean coconut. Both me and mum favour this.

Emptying the sachet into a cup and adding boiling water and stirring is about the gist of it. However Options hot chocolate (both sachets and from the jar) are surprisingly hard to get right I find. They often end up lumpy. They tend to have a nice froth to them but this is ruined by lumps of not dissolved chocolate powder. The flavour is also perhaps too sweet for some people. I have friends who find it sickly. The taste of coconut is pleasantly strong though.

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I'd recommend these sachets for a nice cuppa (just not the hazelnut one!)

I was doing my large monthly shop the other day (you know the one around payday to get all the treats and necessities for the month so the weekly shop is just the basics like bread, milk etc) and I knew I needed to stock up on fruit tea as my recent box had finished which was of course located right next to the Hot Chocolate shelves. I usually only buy Milo but the big tin was £3.99 and I never drink hot chocolate all that often, so decided to get a few Options sachets as my sister had recommend them to me and one sachet was only 32p. I picked up a handful, (ok I picked up 3) not paying much attention as one was White Chocolate, one was mint chocolate and the last one was a Belgian chocolate with hazelnut. This last one I didn't read and I am not a big nut fan so for me it was absolutely awful!

The hot chocolate is easy to make, simply boil the kettle and add, with the satchet recommending to add some milk for a creamier taste. Since my teens I have always made my hot chocolate with some condensed milk for some added sweetness and I have done this with options. When I made the white chocolate I found it tasted lovely and it all blended together really smoothly for quite a nice premium tasting hot chocolate which I was pleasantly surprised!

One Sachet contains 11g of powder, ideally enough for one decent sized mug of hot chocolate but last night I managed to make it stretch to make a small cup for my little one before bed time and about two thirds of an average sized mug for me. Unfortunately this was the hazelnut flavoured hot chocolate which I did not like at all! It really just reminded me of the taste of ferrero rocher in a mug. My 4 year old loved it although she only drank half before falling asleep and sadly the rest went in the bin! Making this flavour, it seemed a bit difficult, the powder was really fine and as soon as I added the hot water it kind of seemed like the powder would just settle on top. I mixed and mixed for what felt like ages until the powder was no longer sitting on top and making it look and taste like a powdery mess. It's strange as I didn't have these problems with other flavours!

Each flavour varies in calorie content, the white chocolate being only 44 and the belgian mint chocolate being 44 calories. I think the range has a lot to offer like orange, white chocolate, mint chocolate and the hazelnut so I think for consumers there is something for everyone. The hot chocolate sachets are reasonably priced and affordable, although in the grand scale it is costly per mug than if you just bought a whole tub. I'd still recommend them though, as they are easy to use on the go, and I plan to take some of these white chocolate sachets to store at work!

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Wonder full and tasty hot chocolate drinks!

As I'm currently on a diet and like to eat healthily, I always have had hot chocolate as my little treat and I've tried many other hot chocolate drinks but always come back to Options as they have so many flavors available, low calorie and taste better to me.

There are various mini sachets flavors that you can choose from in your local supermarkets which are normally on offer such as "4 for £1.00" or they are 32p each for a 11g sachet, these flavors include;Belgian chocolate, chocolate & orange, white chocolate, ginger,hazelnut, caramel, coconut, mint, vanilla, chocolate brownie, cherry, fudge & limited edition winter spice.

I've tried most of these flavors and my favorites are pretty much all of them apart from caramel as I personally cannot stand caramel foods but apart from that one I can never choose which one to have! These hot drinks are easy too make by emptying the chocolate powder into a mug, pour in the hot water and stir although I always put some milk in mine which I find makes it more creamier.

After making these drinks the powder completely dissolve in the water and you don't get those large powdery lumps. I love the smell of the hot chocolate when it's made as they all have different flavors and smell exactly like what the packet describes although my boyfriend complains about how strong the smell is as he isn't keen on hot chocolate much, he's a tea man. There is some flavors that do taste very sweet but nice and I find them to be so nice that I always want another cup!

They all have different calorie numbers on them ranging from 30 too 60 calories per cup, and they don't have that much sugar in them some have 5g or 8g but as I say they're all different on the nutritional information on the back on the sachets.

I'd definitely recommend these hot chocolate drinks they're tasty and cheap! They also do big versions of hot chocolates which are 220g with one flavor which I have tried and they last a while!

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'Options Hot Chocolate Mini Sachets' A low calorie tasty treat

'Options Hot Chocolate Mini Sachets'

These mini hot chocolate sachets are to die for. They have much taste yet so few calories. Which in my opinion is fantastic because it means I can enough a delicious drink without having to think about burning the calories afterwards.

I purchased my first sachet of 'Options Hot Chocolate' on a whim from my local 'Morrison's' store, it was cold a rainy outside and when I got home I wanted to curl up with a hot drink and a good book and this seemed to be the perfect option.

I purchased two of their sachets, one in 'Chocolate Hazelnut' and the other in 'Belgian Chocolate Ginger', they both tasted incredible and for only 44 calories a sachet I was in heaven. The 'Hazelnut' favour was perfect for the kind of day it was outside, it's a very nice full and rich autumn flavour and made me feel somewhat like a squirrel. On the other hand I found the 'Ginger' flavour to be more toned down, that allowed more of the 'Belgian Chocolate' to come through, but it is still a very nice flavour, perfect for those icy winter nights.

'Options' now have many different flavours of hot chocolate on offer, they range from classic 'Belgian Chocolate' to 'Chocolate Butterscotch' and even 'White Chocolate'.All of these flavours are available in jars or in sachets.

I would highly recommend 'Options Hot Chocolate Mini Sachets' to anyone who wants to enjoy a tasty, warming treat without all of those pesky calories.

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A very tasty hot chocolate

I usually wait until the winter is right in before I reach for the hot chocolates but with the nights getting quite dark early round my way and the desire for something 'chocolatey' but not actual chocolate I picked these up when I was wandering round Tesco at the weekend.

Packaging: These sachets are 11g in weight and measure in at 4 x 12cm. They are made of reasonably thick plastic that crinkles when you squeeze it. There are a variety of flavours available in this range and all sachets are predominantly brown with the recognisable blue "Options" design across the top. The flavours are identified with words (of course haha) as well as each flavour has its own colour of text. Coconut's colourings is white so the words "....a sunny CARIBBEAN beach, luscious COCONUT palms and dreamy sunsets.." are written in white. The name Caribbean Coconut is written in larger bolder text amongst that wee story to show that's the actual name of the flavour. The brown section of the pack has what looks like melting blocks of chocolate across it and above the word "options" you can see a cartoon of a woman in a slinky dress drinking a cup of hot chocolate. The overall design of the pack is very enticing and the words combined with the images really gets you in the mood for a hot chocolate!! The back of the pack has details on the ingredients and how to make it and calorific/fat etc values. To open the sachet you need to tear a a slightly perforated edge which peels a corner off the pack. If you have never had these before, my tip is, just cut the top off, the corner that tears off isn't quite big enough and when you try to pour it in the cup the powder gets stuck and when you shake it, this results in a chocolate powder cloud.

Preparation, smell and taste test:You are advised on the back of the packet how to make the hot chocolate but basically the formula for success is sachet + cup + hot water + spoon!! Haha I like to try and stir this as I pour the water in as it is one of the hot chocolates that doesn't dissolve all that easily. When the water is all in and I have given it a really firm stir there is always a load of little chocolate powder blobs floating on the top that can only be dispersed if I bash them against the side of the mug with the back of my spoon (die chocolate blobs, die) so that's a bit annoying. When you open the sachet initially you can mainly smell chocolate rather than the coconut, but when you add the hot water the coconut smell really comes to life. Once mixed with hot water this tastes like a melted Bounty bar and is really sweet and delicious. I do love my holiday cocktails and chocolate so coconut plus chocolate is right up my alley! The coconut taste is very sweet and the chocolate behind it is slightly bitter like plain chocolate which compliments it perfectly, saving it from being too sickly sweet.

I will give this 4 stars as I do hate having to bash away the chocolate blobs that don't mix in but the other 4 stars heartily given and well deserved for smell and taste, yum!

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Yummy treat you don't need to feel guilty about

I love hot chocolate but I've found that with some brands they don't taste very choclately, defeating the object of hot chocolate I feel! After my Dad bought some of these I tried the Mint one and fell in love straight away. Even though they are the lighter option with less calories and low in fat, Options really is the best instant hot chocolate I have tried.

It's easy to make, they come in 11 gram packets which you simply pour into a mug, add a little bit of cold milk to make it taste nicer and mix it with boiling water. The hot chocolate dissolves really well and doesn't leave clumps at the bottom which I have found is the case with a lot of other instant hot chocolate brands. There are several different flavours including mint, hazelnut, orange, white chocolate and Belgian chocolate. Although they are all tasty the mint variety is definitely my favourite and provides a perfect blend of mint and chocolate flavour. They are easy to store as they are small sachets and have a good shelf life.

The calories vary depending on which one you try but the mint one only contains 38 calories per cup. They cost around 27p per one or at most supermarkets they have multi buy deals on them. At Tesco at the time of writing this review they have a buy 4 for £1 deal on-going.

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Yum

I am a chocolate freak and love a nice hot chocolate in the evening. Due to loving chocolate as much as I do, I have of late put on a bit of weight and have started a calorie controlled diet. These Option sachets are perfect for this. I dont have to measure out the correct amount of powder, just open, tip into a cup and add boiling water.

I have tried numerous flavours, the white chocolate I was most horrified with, I dont know if I had a bad batch or not but it wouldnt mix with the hot water properly, tasted chalky and horrid. Needless to say I didnt finish it and will not buy it again.

The mint and chocolate varieties are definatly my favorite, the belgian chocolate although nice has been overtaken by my love of the previously mentioned other flavours.The mint is not overpowering at all, it is a pleasant flavour that doesnt overbear the taste f chocolate.The orange is refreshing and very orangey, but again not too overpowering. It is like drinking a melted chocolate orange, delishous!

I would recommend these also because they range from 38-40 calories per sachet, which is a stark difference from Cadburys hot chocolate and at 27p each you cant complain. Sainsburys were doing an offer of 7 for £.150 and I stocked up during that :)

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Lovely low calorie chocolate drink in a large variety of flavours

Options (part of the Twinings family) make a range of low calorie hot chocolate drinks that can be made up with hot water. I first started drinking them when I began my Slimming World journey last year. Desperate for a chocolate fix I discovered these little delights which at only 2 syns (40 calories) per serving meant that I could satisfy my cravings. I keep a stash in my drawer at work for chocolate emergencies and another selection at home. I also take a couple of packets if I go away for the weekend - they are so eay to just pop into an overnight bag.

They are easy to make, just empty the sachet into a mug and add boiled water that has cooled for a minute. Like any other powdered drinks it is probably best to mix with a little water or milk first in order to prevent undissolved lumps remaining in your drink. I find a smallish mug is best or they taste a bit watery.

The drinks come in a variety of chocolatey flavours - orange, hazelnut, vanilla, toffee, coconut, banana, double choc, mint, white chocolate and basic Belgian chocolate. I have tried them all and they are all really delicious. They also do an indulgence range which at 60 calories is still suitable for dieters and includes brownie, fudge, cherry and a limited edition variety - the current flavour is winter spice. For me, the main downside to these drinks is the after taste from the artificial sweetener and that's why I have given it 4 stars instead of 5. They are not as creamy as full fat water based hot chocolates either, although you could add milk or cream to them if you wanted to.

These sachets don't have to be used purely for making into drinks. They can be used to flavour home made cheesecakes by mixing it with quark (for a low fat version) or mascarpone and piling the mixture onto a biscuit base. They can also be used to flavour cakes instead of cocoa or mixed with whipped cream and fromage frais to make a mousse or cake filling.

You can buy these sachets from most supermarkets and they are always on some sort of bulk buy offer. Asda currently have them on a 5 for £1 deal, Sainsburys is selling them 6 for £1.50 and Tesco has them at 4 for £1. They sell them individually at 32p. Some of the more popular flavours come in jars too which work out cheaper - though like the sachets the price varies from store to store depending on the deals at the time. I've seen them range from around £1 to £3.19

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Really nice alternative to tea or coffee

I'm a massive fan of tea and coffee but sometimes I fancy something a little different. I saw these in Asda for 30p a sachet so I thought I'd give them a go. They also boasted to be relatively low in calories, so that was an added bonus - particularly for a sweet drink like hot chocolate. I bought a sachet of the white chocolate, the orange, the mint and the original Belgian varieties. They all tasted really nice - they're definitely not the best powdered hot chocolate I've tried, but they're certainly not the worst. Considering the overall price, I'd say that they're exceptionally good value for money.

They're extremely simple to use - you just empty the sachet into a mug and pour over the boiling water. I personally don't need to add extra sugar as I find them the perfect sweetness (if a little too sweet) but others may want to add this for their own personal tastes. They all taste exactly how you expect them - the white chocolate has a milky and light taste and the Belgian variety is rich and everything you'd want it to be! The only problem I had with the hot chocolate was that I found the texture quite watery. It would probably be better if it were made with hot milk, but then this would negate the whole point of having a low calorie drink. Next time I try these I may have to experiment with half milk/half water and use skimmed or semi-skimmed milk. That's the only problem I found with these wonderful little sachets.

4 Stars for the watery texture, if they improved on this I would definitely give it a 5 star rating.

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A disappointing hot chocolat drink

I love hot chocolate, but I am quite fussy about which one I drink. I have had too many that have been weak and watery. I want mine to taste chocolatey, because that is the point of the drink! I do enjoy flavoured hot chocolates, so I was interested to try those available from Options. I think I have worked my way through most of the flavours now. Today I am reviewing the Cracking Hazelnut variety.

I bought a single serve 11g sachet when they were available on a 3 for 2 offer in Sainsburys some time ago. In fact they are often on a similar promotion somewhere or another. The standard price for one is around 32p, which means they are a good way to try a new flavour without wasting your money if you don't like it after all. Some of the Options varieties are available in larger tubs too, but I have not seen the Hazelnut flavour amongst them.

The little packets are easy to open if your tear where they suggest. There doesn't seem to be much powder in them so you don't want to loose most of it when you open the sachet! There is enough to make a standard mug size drink though. The preparation is simple - you just need to boil some water, let it cool slightly, then add it to the chocolate powder. I think you do need to stir the drink quite a lot in order to get it to a smooth consistency. If you don't, you may be left with lumps which are harder to get rid of once the drink has cooled more. Providing you do stir, the texture is fine. It is thick enough to feel a bit more special, while still being liquid enough to be nice and refreshing. It looks like a good quality chocolate, and smells fantastic. I could really smell the nuts at this point, so I was hoping to experience a strong flavour too. Sadly though, I thought the taste was strangely disappointing. It does taste of chocolate, and of Belgian chocolate in paticular, but the nut flavour is too weak for me. It is strongest at the first sip, but then develops a strange artificial aftertaste that I can't really place. This is a real shame because I know that hazelnuts and chocolate goes so well together normally. It is quite sweet too. I would prefer less of a sugary flavour, but as it is part of the drink, I can't adjust the sweetness to my own taste. The packet suggests that for a creamier drink, you can add some milk. I have tried this, and it does indeed taste creamier, but not to the point that it makes up for the absent hazelnut.

Overall, I didn't enjoy this as much as I wanted to. I would drink it again if someone offered me one, because it isn't horrible, but I find other Options flavours taste more natural and satisfying. I do like the fact the drink contains 39 calories a cup, as it doesn't taste like a relatively lower fat product. This isn't enough to persaude me to buy this paticular flavour again though. I wouldn't recommend it to those looking for a good nutty flavoured drink. I think for that, using a hazelnut flavoured coffeee syrup and adding it to a regular hot chocolate provides the best results.

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I like hot chocolate. It is the one hot drink which really gets me through the winter months. I cannot drink it in the summer as it just feels wrong but there really is nothing like that feeling of coming in from outside when it is bitter cold and making yourself a nice hot mug of hot chocolate. Supermarkets have jars and jars of different brands of hot chocolate but the one brand I always reach for is Options.

Options is fantastic. You can buy a jar of your favourite flavour or you can buy slim little sachets (11g) and stock up on a multitude of flavours. Options gives you exactly that - options. There are loads of flavours to choose from in the range - Belgian Hot Choc, Mint Choc, White Choc, Toffee (my absolute favourite!), Choc Orange, Banoffee and more. These are always on offer in supermarkets - usually 4 for £1 or you can buy one for around 35p. I always stock up in the winter as they are so easy to store and very convenient as they do not take up alot of room in the cupboard.

These sachets are easy to use and my way of doing it is to pour some milk into a mug, pour the sachet in and stir. I then put the mug in the microwave for 1 minute. Once the minute is up, I take it out and stir again and put it back in for another minute. Once the microwave has beeped the drink is ready to go. It is absolutely perfect. You do not have to add milk, you can just make it with boiling water but I think it tastes awful that way! I like thick chocolatey goodness!

The hot chocolate tastes absolutely beautiful. It is smooth and very flavoursome. Especially the mint and toffee ones. The toffee one is my absolutely favourite. It is thick and creamy and just so very yummy that words cannot describe it!

Options are the lighter way to enjoy hot chocolate as they are only 40 calories a sachet though obviously the milk will add a little bit more to this.

I love the Options hot chocolate sachets. I think they are convenient, easy to stock up on and taste fantastic. For me they are the best hot drinks on the market at the moment and they are so very cheap.

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Mini chocolate hits in convenient sachets!

I first saw these sitting on a shelf in the supermarket, and was amazed by the range of extremely appealing flavours on offer (the catchy names really draw your attention), and the amazingly low calorie count that the packaging boasted.

Intrigued, I tried my first ever coconut hot chocolate and was hooked. I've been buying the brand regularly ever since, and once you've decided via these handy trial size sachets which flavour you like, you can buy the more economical jars.

The ProductLow calorie hot chocolates; surely this has got to be gold dust, right? Or at least gold powder! The sachets are enough to make a cup of hot chocolate (the back instructions say to add 200ml of just off the boil water to make it up) and will cost you on average 40 calories a drink, depending on which flavour you feel like.

They're a perfect way to get a chocolate hit without the guilty feeling of all those calories and all that fat.

PackagingThe 11g of hot chocolate powder is stored in a long thin plastic sachet. There's a tear mark on the top right hand corner, which is very easy to use and the corner comes off cleanly.The packaging theme for the range is a light blue background with a white or brown dominating the front (depending on whether it is a white or milk chocolate drink). Coloured writing to match the flavour (e.g. green for mint, orange for orange) spells out the title of your hot chocolate flavour, and they're all given a fun and snappy name.

The FlavoursBefore I go into each, I thought I'd give a quick overview of all the flavours available. Please note that some of these are limited editions (denoted as lt. ed.) and some shops may not stock all the flavours available. In some cases a larger jar may also be available for this flavour.

The limited editions are changed regularly, and as their website quotes; 'variety is the spice of life!' They come up with some truly delicious flavours, and I've been very sad to see some of them go, especially the coconut and banana ones. However there's always another new limited edition to take its place!

Wicked WhiteI opened the packet and tipped the white(!) powder into my mug. I'll admit that thought I like white chocolate, light coloured drinks always put me off, so I was getting a little nervous that this was going to disappoint me. The powder smells like condensed milk, not really chocolatey at all. And since I don't like milk as I poured the water on I was really getting worried!

After making it up with water the smell has a hint of white chocolate, but the sickly milk smell is more apparent. That said the smell isn't too overpowering, so long as you don't go and take a deep breath to test it! The drink is a light creamy colour, and looks very thin, even though I made it up as it instructed on the packet.

So, slightly worried, I took my first sip. If I thought it smelt like milk, it tastes even more so. Warm, slightly watery milk. I was very disappointed especially as I was looking forward to this one. I took a few more sips to make sure there wasn't a (very) subtle chocolate undertone, but there wasn't. It was very sweet, too, even though I added no sugar, so be warned that if you do like your drinks sweeter, taste it first before adding anything!

Although to be fair to Options, this one isn't classed as a hot chocolate; simply as a 'sweet treat' (even though it gives the impression on their website it was part of the hot chocolate range, and says on the front 'wicked white choc') so perhaps it was not supposed to be as chocolately as I was expecting.Nutritional Information per 11g sachet (made up with 200ml water)

Mint MadnessThe powder had a strong, refreshing smell of mint as I tipped it into the mug. As I added the water and stirred the smell didn't fade, and mixed well with the scent of chocolate. Think of the smell of a mint aero; it's a slightly more modest version of that. Definitely not overpowering; just enough to get your taste buds to wake up ready for this treat!

After it had cooled, I took my first sip and the taste of chocolate and mint are both detectable. The mint is very fresh and crisp and gives a strangely cooling refreshing taste to the warm drink. It was odd, but very nice. After a few more sips the chocolate taste built up, though, and started to take over from the mint.

For a water based hot chocolate drink this was fairly generous and thick, not lumpy, but had a very nice consistency; velvety smooth. Although once I'd finished my drink and tipped away the dregs (I never like the last little bit of my drink) I noticed some of the powder stuck in a lump at the bottom, despite my meticulous stirring. It hadn't broken off and made the drink 'bitty' though with lumps of powder, so don't be put off by the thought of lumpy hot chocolate.

Belgian ChocThe powder smells really chocolaty if you take a good sniff, very pleasant! And as I poured the off-boiled water on, the scent was still apparent, but not overpowering.When made up the drink doesn't look too thick, or too thin (even though it's made up with water), just the perfect consistency.

Taking my first sip, the chocolate taste isn't too strong, just right. But it is quite sweet, and I didn't add any sugar at all. This may put some people off; I know I like my drinks sweet (I usually have two sugars in my coffee/tea) but I wouldn't even consider adding any too this or it would be sickly. My advice is to make the drink up, wait a few minutes and taste a spoonful (let the spoonful cool first!) and make sure that its not already sweet enough before adding anything.

The drink is very velvety and tastes quite luxurious, actually, which is surprising given the price and that it is a water based hot chocolate drink. This one was a really nice one, just a traditional plain hot chocolate drink, no fancy flavours, but they got it spot on.

Outrageous OrangeI opened the packet, and had to smell this one as I quite like the smell of oranges. The chocolate smell of the powder was definitely apparent, but there was also a nice tangy scent of oranges, not too overpowering, just complimenting the chocolate. This smell remains after you've added the water, and really makes it smell fresh and gets you wanting to try a sip!

After waiting for it to cool I took my first sip, and noted that the orange taste wasn't as tangy as I had been anticipating from the smell. It is simply an undertone, but gives it a refreshing kick.

The orange taste doesn't really build up with subsequent sips, but it definitely adds something to the tradition plain hot chocolate. The subtle hints make it taste a bit like a muted quality street orange chocolate. Very nice!

Tempting ToffeeAha! Found a sachet! Previously I'd had to leave this section blank, but now I can comment on Tempting Toffee!

The website describes it as: 'Feeling a little saucy? Tempting Toffee, with its deliciously sweet, buttery taste, is for you.' With that in mind, and since I love the taste of toffee, I was expecting good things from this one. I opened the packet and tipped the pale brown powder in...the smell was nice, but not overpowering; definitely a hint of toffee there. I added the water and waited for it to cool, getting a bit worried since it looked rather thin. I was hoping it wouldn't be too bland...on the first sip my fears were confirmed. While there is definitely a slightly sickly taste that could be attributed to the toffee flavour, it's not strong enough for me, and ends up just a rather weak hot chocolate. Shame, but I won't be buying this again.

Ooh La La VanillaI really, really want to try this one as I love vanilla, but I sadly have never found it on the shelves of my supermarkets when I've been looking. The description from their website states: 'Feeling a little frivolous? Enjoy silky smooth vanilla entwined with Belgian chocolate.'

Turkish DelightCurrent limited edition flavour (as of June 2008). I haven't managed to find this one to try, but the website describes it as: Got a taste for the exotic? Our chocolatey Turkish Delight has a delicate rose perfume that makes it quite delightful. Available now for limited time.

I have tried this before, so will base my review on my past experience. As I no longer have the packet I cannot give the specific ingredients, though they will be largely the same as the other flavours.The scent of coffee was very strong, and the taste was very overpowering. The chocolate taste took a definite backseat, and you're left feeling as though you're drinking a rather confused sweet coffee drink. I didn't like this one much at all because you can't taste the chocolate very much, and the coffee aftertaste lingers unpleasantly.

Simply CinnamonI managed to pick up a past limited edition when shopping for some to try for this review, even though I was unable to find current limited editions.

I love cinnamon, and am of the belief that it is a perfect partner for chocolate. When I first tore the sachet open and poured it into my mug, I really wanted to smell the cinnamon?and was disappointed. The powder just smells of chocolate; pretty much the same as the Belgian choc one.I was a bit worried by this as I added the water, assuming this meant that the cinnamon taste would probably be so subtle I wouldn't be able to detect it. However the second the water hit the powder, a strong cinnamon scent arose. Now we're in business! The scent is rich and warm, and really makes you think of Christmas. Gorgeous!

So, the taste is obviously quite important too! Contrary to what I'd been expecting from a cinnamon hot chocolate - especially after that rich scent - the taste isn't remotely overpowering. The cinnamon is definitely there, but it works so well that you get the chocolate taste first, and then a hit of cinnamon?and then it's gone. There's no horrible aftertaste like you can get with cinnamon flavouring sometimes; it's just nice and warming.

Where to BuyThe Options website claims that Sainsbury's, Tesco, ASDA and Morrisons all stock their product, though admit that they may not carry the full range of flavours. I definitely found this to be the case, as the current limited editions I couldn't find anywhere, nor the regular line up flavours of toffee or vanilla. Other smaller supermarkets and retailers may also carry some of the range.

The jars (220g) retail from £2.34 (Tesco) to £2.49 (Sainsbury's).The 11g sachet is adequate to produce one strongly flavoured cup of hot chocolate, and is a very nice way of trying out the flavours at a relatively cheaper price so that you can find out which one you like best! They also make an excellent item from travelling; plastic sachets means they're not as bulky as the jars so can be easily slipped into a suitcase or bag to take with you for a weekend away, or to a hotel if you have tea and coffee making facilities in your room.

ConclusionThese sachets are a fantastic idea if you'd like to test out the Options hot chocolate range without splashing out on a jar right away. They're also fairly low in calories and fat, so can provide a chocolate hit instead of a less healthy alternative such a solid bar of chocolate.

They are also small and convenient, and can be taken on holidays/to hotels/anywhere where there will be hot water. They are fairly inexpensive, and once you have found a flavour or two that you like you can buy the more economical jars of the single flavours.

On top of the 7 flavours that they regularly produce, Options are always changing their limited edition flavours and introducing mouth watering new ones to try out.

Definitely grab yourself a couple of these to try out; they're easy to make, and a very good quality hot chocolate drink.

Serah(Also posted as Mayoki @ Ciao)

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will continue to try and buy these!

I first came across these as a four for one pound deal in Tesco, i was drawn in with all these amazing flavors to try and I'm a massive fan of hot chocolate and usually drink cadburys hot chocolate but after years of that I really fancied a change so picked up four of these and now everytime I'm shopping I always pick up one or two of these!

*The Package*The small sachet contains enough to make one big mug of hot chocolate, its not really value for money because you pay for each cup, but its perfect one anybody who likes to switch and change and doesn't fancy paying for a full bottle. The sachet is quickly opened with a pair of scissors and poured in and chucked out!

*The range and there taste*

*Outrageously orange*This is one of my favourites, it tastes a lot like a terrys chocolate orange but a bit more watered down, with the last through sips when the flavour is very strong you can taste a massive burst of orange!

*Cracking hazelnut*Another great flavour, the chocolate and hazelnut balance each other out and the nutty isn't too overpowering, the flavour reminds me of nutella and the flavour is really creamy!

*Wicked white*Sadly, I didn't really like this one on its own, I did make up the flavour once with two sachets, with one sachet you can't really taste much flavour and seems to taste far too much just like watery milk, but with the other sachet in it became more creamy but I still couldn't taste much chocolate - was a bit of a disappointment for me!

*Caribbean coconut*This seems to be a newer flavour out, the most recent one I have tried, the coconut seemed way too overpowering in this and the chocolate tastes way too bland in this some, another disappointment! The chocolate should have more of a kick in this than the coconut, I did somewhat enjoy it but was disappointed with the lack of chocolate!

*Belgian Chocolate*The plainer flavour and just simple, its very rich but still very chocolatey, I have actually purchased the full size of this one, the chocolate is really strong and is one of my favorite hot chocolates!

There are a few more others that I haven't tried yet too: Chocolate cherry, chocolate brownie, chocolate banoffe, Chocolate fudge, winter spice, Toffee, mint, vanilla and banana! so there is an amazing choice and most supermarkets offer a deal to mix and match with these!

-Overall-I think these sachets are great because of the flavours, They give you a great supply to have a nice try of each chocolate flavour without having to buy and potentially waste a full packet of the hot chocolate, I think they are good for a night in with and add a sense of adventure to a cup of hot chocolate and I can't wait to keep trying them and seeing what they come up with next! The hot chocolate itself does need to be made with full fat milk too make it more creamy otherwise it can be quite watery in texture which sometimes doesn't cut it for me